Rigor Mortis
by Lady Abbess
Summary: For a marriage to work out the couple must put valuable effort, time and energy into it – it must be a give and take relationship – both must show equal dedication, passion and love. Nekozawa Fujioka.


**A/N:** If you don't like Neko-Haru, please don't read. If you like the pairing but don't like the story, please bear with me….

**Ouran High School Host Club**

**One-shot**

**Theme:** Rigor Mortis

**Character/s:** Nekozawa, Haruhi, etc.

**Written by:** Lady Abbess

**Message:** Read, review and enjoy!

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

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**Prologue**

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_"Marriage is like putting your hand into a bag of snakes in the hope of pulling out an eel." _

_Leonardo de Vinci_

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**F**or a marriage to work out the couple must put valuable effort, time and energy into it – it must be a give and take relationship – both must show equal dedication, passion and love.

Nekozawa Umehito wondered how many couples, how many lovers failed to fulfill everything essential for a relationship, a marriage to work – just how many young men like him failed to do so.

It was one of his biggest regrets in life and thought of the many persons who said it impossible to change and turn back time, he felt foolish thinking about it.

Whenever he remembered his first and only commitment, he felt no more desire to venture deeper into the paths of romance.

After all that had happened.

All that happened to him.

And her.

Mrs. Nekozawa Umehito.

The cross-dressing first-year he knew back then.

Mrs. Umehito Haruhi.

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**Rigor Mortis**

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**I** have no time for this," Haruhi replied to him once as she entered the living room when she came home from the law firm. "Please leave me alone."

He frowned and inched closer to her, approaching the large couch she was sitting on, "But, this was already scheduled. The counselor's waiting and we have an appointment later with our doctor."

"I said," Haruhi turned to him, "I have no time for this. A major case's handled by my firm and I need to review it for an upcoming trial."

Umehito helplessly stared at her, "But, you can put it for later, right? Haruhi, I hope you understand that I'm trying to make things work for us. Please, just cooperate. It won't last for more than four hours, I assure you so you can do your work later."

"Why is this so important to you? I have a client with a possible death sentence looming around the corner and you'd ask me to go to a shrink so we could have counseling about having children?"

She had said it with such calmness that he made no counter to justify his point any longer.

It was sure who won the argument.

And she was walking out of the room at that moment.

The next time, Nekozawa would talk to her first before bothering any doctor.

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**T**here had been no house rules laid and both come and go anytime they wanted to. And because of their work, they barely met each other except on evenings in bed. There were no conversations and no contact other than the awareness of the presence of one another underneath the bed sheets.

Then it would only be the sound of Umehito's slow breathing that Haruhi would hear.

And somehow, she felt a twinge of something in her but it was all forgotten when sleep overtook her.

It was his breathing that calmed her but she cannot find tranquility nowadays.

She often wondered what happened.

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**O**ne time, when Haruhi was given a day off from work, she decided to play housewife and sent the maid home to enjoy the remainder of the day. She dusted her way through the furniture, amusedly remembering how she used to do that when she was still a student, and did the other household chores – setting shopping for groceries and cooking at the bottom of the list – until she came to sorting and laundering the clothes in the hamper.

It was a methodical relaxation, she decided.

Haruhi went through her clothes first.

She needed a fresh suit by tomorrow, after all.

And afterwards, she sifted and sorted her way through her husband's clothes – that was when she got a surprise.

The night before, Umehito went home too late and smelled like a drunk, but she had no way of telling if he was drunk because her husband could handle his liquor well.

The answer why was on the collar of the pale blue shirt she was holding.

In the form of a red, smudged lipstick mark.

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**N**ekozawa hated admitting it to her of all people, but he was extremely jealous whenever she talked about meeting any one from the former Host Club, even if it was by accident.

She'd bring home gifts from them – imagine the twins giving her a lacy set of lingerie!

He knew he shouldn't be that way since they were friends and all, but men around his wife drove him to the edge.

And every time he'd try starting up a casual conversation with her about them, it would end in an explosive argument littered with words that both wish they could take back but damages had already been done.

Often, he'd just bat an eye but he became used to it that he wouldn't bother with it at all anymore.

Although there was the time when she called that she and other lawyers would spend the night in the office, working on a case.

It was alright with him.

People everywhere needed justice.

But there was nothing wrong either if he became the worried, paranoid husband.

He called her twice in the evening and was received with friendly banters about him being a Mother Hen.

There was no problem with that either.

Until he called around 6 o' clock in the morning, and her phone was answered by the familiar, exuberant but nonetheless sleepy voice of one French simpleton.

And in the background was Haruhi's voice, the same sleepy tone in hers, greeting Tamaki a good morning.

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**H**e couldn't remember when he started sleeping around with other women and not coming home till the wee hours in the morning but when he had gotten one girl pregnant because of the stupidity of not using protection, he was honest and told her.

But she responded to that with a shrug, "How do you feel now?"

He eyed her blankly.

"I've always thought that you'd want to be even ever since that phone call."

Ah, and t'was the first time she spoke of ever sleeping with Tamaki.

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**K**youya wasn't as discreet as Tamaki in showing hidden affections and even in the midst of the wide-eyed maid, he would french kiss her every time he felt like it.

Even if Nekozawa was around.

**T**he twins, Hunny and Mori were more like brothers and weren't much of a problem in the already jeopardized marriage of hers with her husband.

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It had been two fruitless years of a childless relationship, filled with deceit and adultery, when both of them decided it was time to end it.

Haruhi came forward with divorce papers, all arranged and ready, so that he could sign it and it would be all over.

Umehito had no objections though, and looked like he was just waiting it for it.

He signed and looked her in the eye.

"Are you happy?" She asked.

He sadly smiled. "I think I am."

"Do you have any regrets?"

"No. It's like we've never had a relationship, after all."

She shook her head at this but the same sad smile was on her face.

"The only regret I have is not doing this sooner."

And so it was a goodbye without tears and true hatred for each other.

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**Epilogue**

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Nekozawa Umehito, 28 and single, laughed and felt that it was déjà vu taking hold of him as he looked at the invitation and photo in his hand.

A marriage.

And he was invited.

Imagine the ex-husband attending the wedding of his ex-wife.

It would make headlines any time.

After all, the controversial relationship of a business tycoon and famed lawyer would be hounded by hungry reporters everywhere.

And as if calculated, it was approximately six years after the divorce – a decent enough number of years for remarriage – but it was no wonder for the groom was devious, a businessman and crafty.

He wondered now, would it be as disastrous as the ex-wife's first marriage?

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**END**

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**A/N:** Oh hello! I really don't know what happened here… It started out fine until it ended like this. But the heck, I still want to know what you guys think. Please review!! XD


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